In a race against time, the UN and Palestinian health authorities have launched a vital vaccination campaign in Gaza’s Middle Area, aiming to protect around 640,000 children under the age of 10 from the resurgence of polio.
“There were 87,000 vaccinated on the first day out of 156,000 that we are hoping to reach in the Middle Area,” said Louise Wateridge, Senior Communications Officer for UNWRA, the largest UN agency in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking on day two of the vaccination drive, Wateridge reported seeing “hundreds of children” at a health centre in Deir Al-Balah and more at an UNWRA school in the central city. “The school reported that 3,000 children were vaccinated yesterday alone, so you know we’re seeing very good numbers and [need] to keep the momentum going,” she added.
The initial three-day campaign comes after health authorities detected the first case of polio in Gaza in 25 years. To offer maximum protection, children will need to receive two doses of the vaccine at a four-week interval. More than 1.2 million vaccine doses have been delivered to Gaza, with an additional 400,000 doses expected soon.
UN agencies such as United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) , World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Palestinian health authorities aim to achieve at least 90 per cent vaccination coverage in each round of the campaign to curb the current outbreak and prevent the international spread of polio.
However, the vaccination effort is being hampered by the ongoing conflict in the region. “”We are still struggling to get access to facilities and access to families and children in those areas. It’s far too dangerous for them to travel, to move; there is ongoing fighting ” said Wateridge.
Wateridge reported “a lot of strikes” on Monday morning and through the night on Sunday. “So the fighting has not stopped by any means. There are some pauses throughout the day, but it’s not guaranteed. We don’t have guaranteed safety to people, and we really need that to reach all the children to get that 90 percent success rate.”
Amid outbreaks of hepatitis, diarrhoea and other preventable diseases linked to 10 months of heavy Israeli bombardment and clashes with Hamas militants, UN agencies underscored the need for all warring sides to maintain the agreed eight-hour pause in hostilities to ensure the success of the vaccination campaign.
Vinod Kumar (UAE)